CN102686305A - Screw segment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a screw segment (100, 200) capable of shearing/kneading processed materials and extruding them from the barrel (1) without plugging in the barrel (1) of a screw extruder. The screw segments (100, 200) include: a shaft portion (111) fixed to the screw shaft (7); and a tooth portion (112) protruding radially outward from the shaft portion (111). The tooth part (112) has a tooth surface (116) formed on the front side of the screw shaft (7) in the rotation direction so as to gradually move forward in the rotation direction as it transitions from the shaft part (111) to the outside in the shaft radial direction. The way the side transitions are slanted.

Description

Screw section

technical field

The present invention relates to screw segments used in screw extruders.

Background technique

Patent Document 1 discloses an excluder that feeds biomass wood chips charged into a cylinder by a screw while heating them with steam.

Patent Document 2 discloses a screw extruder in which wood chips are put into a cylinder, fed while adding water, sheared under heat and pressure, extruded from the cylinder after shearing, and then Puffing is performed to decompose the lignin.

Cited Document 3 discloses a twin-screw screw extruder having a twin-screw screw provided with a kneading disc inside a heating cylinder having a heater.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-202518

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-146281

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-58271

In the case of the technology described in Patent Document 1, the screw is a screw feeder for feeding biomass wood chips, and it is impossible to shear and miniaturize the biomass wood chips, and it is difficult to make the biomass wood chips fully in the cylinder. break down.

In addition, there is a possibility that processing materials adhere to each other due to elution of decomposed products and the like to form aggregates in the shape of popcorn candy, and feeding in the cylinder may become difficult. Furthermore, due to the use of a screw feeder and the generation of popcorn-like agglomerates, it is impossible to ensure a high filling rate in the cylinder. In order to ensure more processing capacity, it is necessary to increase the diameter and length of the cylinder. There are devices problem of overscaling.

Furthermore, in the case of employing the technology described in Patent Document 2, since the powder which is a non-flowing material is fed by rotating the screw body having a continuous helical protrusion, the powder moves toward the Lateral movement, continuous application of compressive/frictional forces locally. Therefore, there is a concern that embolism (agglomerate) may occur due to high-density/high-strength at an early stage. The generation of such a plug has a problem that the rotation of the screw body is hindered by the compression resistance/frictional force of the plug, and it becomes overloaded (motor torque is too large), which becomes a feed load.

Furthermore, in the case of adopting the technique described in Patent Document 3, since wood powder as a non-flowing material is mixed with a plastic material as a fluidity material, a certain degree of fluidity can be ensured, and extrusion with a screw body can be performed. .

However, if a screw body or a kneading platen is used to feed and knead only non-fluid materials such as cellulose chips, wood powder, etc., which have a low bulk density and significant compressibility, no matter the non-fluidity Regardless of the moisture content of the elastic material, embolism occurs due to high density/strength at the early stage of compression, and feed failure (overload stop) occurs due to compression resistance/friction of the embolism. Therefore, it is difficult to shear/knead and then extrude such a processed product consisting only of non-flowing materials using a screw extruder.

Contents of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a screw segment capable of shearing/kneading and extruding processed materials without occurrence of embolism.

The screw segment of the present invention for achieving the above object is mounted on the screw shaft in a barrel of a screw extruder so as to be integrally rotatable with the screw shaft, and the screw segment is characterized in that the screw segment includes: a shaft portion, the shaft A portion is fixed to the screw shaft; and a tooth portion protrudes radially outward from the shaft portion. Furthermore, the tooth surface formed on the front side in the rotation direction of the screw shaft is inclined so as to gradually transition to the front side in the rotation direction as it transitions from the shaft portion to the outside in the shaft radial direction (claim 1).

According to the screw segment of the present invention, since the tooth portion has the tooth surface inclined toward the front side in the rotation direction, it is possible to reduce the axial radially outward force acting on the object to be processed due to the rotation of the screw segment. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the processed material from moving outward due to centrifugal force in the cylinder, to prevent local compressive force/friction force from being applied, and to perform shearing/kneading without generating plugs (agglomerates).

The screw segment of the present invention preferably has a structure in which the tooth surface is inclined so as to transition to the rear side in the rotation direction as it transitions from the upstream side in the feeding direction to the downstream side in the barrel (claim 2).

According to the screw segment of the present invention, since the tooth surface is inclined so as to transition to the rear side in the rotation direction as it transitions from the upstream side to the downstream side in the feeding direction of the barrel, it is possible to process from the upstream side to the downstream side in the feeding direction. The force exerted by the object can reduce the force toward the radially outer side of the shaft.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the processed material from moving outward due to centrifugal force in the cylinder, to prevent local compressive force/friction force from being applied, and to perform shearing/kneading without generating plugs (agglomerates).

In the screw segment of the present invention, preferably, the tooth surface is formed such that the tooth surface on the tooth top side of the tooth portion is narrower than the tooth surface on the tooth root side (claim 3).

According to the screw segment of the present invention, since the tooth surface of the tooth part is formed so that the tooth surface on the tooth tip side is narrower than the tooth surface on the tooth root side, the outermost part in the passageway of the cylinder in which the processing material becomes dense can be reduced. the shear force at. Therefore, the moment for rotating the screw shaft of the screw extruder can be reduced, and the drive motor can be downsized.

For the screw segment of the present invention, it is preferable that the tooth portion has: a top surface facing the inner wall surface of the barrel; a front surface formed on the upstream side of the tooth portion in the feeding direction; and a stepped portion , the stepped portion is formed by cutting the edge portion between the parietal surface and the front surface into a stepped shape (claim 4).

According to the screw segment of the present invention, since the stepped portion is formed at the edge portion between the crown surface and the front surface of the tooth portion, the area of the tooth surface can be reduced by the stepped portion. Therefore, the compressive force/frictional force generated when the processed object fed from the upstream side of the feeding direction abuts against the tooth surface can be relatively small.

Furthermore, the stepped portion can relieve the compressive force/friction force locally applied to the processed object by the tooth portion, prevent the outermost part of the processed object in the passage of the cylinder from becoming denser/strengthened at an early stage, and prevent embolism from occurring.

Furthermore, by providing the stepped portion, the tooth surface on the tooth tip side of the tooth portion becomes narrower than the tooth surface on the tooth root side of the tooth portion. Therefore, the radially outer thickness of the tooth portion can be made narrower than the radially inner thickness. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the shearing force at the outermost portion in the passage of the cylindrical body where the processed material becomes dense. Therefore, the moment for rotating the drive shaft of the screw extruder can be reduced, and the size of the drive motor can be reduced.

According to the screw segment of the present invention, since the tooth portion has the tooth surface inclined toward the front side in the rotation direction, it is possible to reduce the axial radially outward force acting on the object to be processed due to the rotation of the screw segment. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the processed material from moving outward due to centrifugal force in the cylinder, to prevent local compressive force/friction force from being applied, and to perform shearing/kneading without generating plugs (agglomerates).

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a pretreatment method of a plant biological treatment product.

Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a barrel and a screw row of a screw extruder.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a structure for forwardly conveying a full flight.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a structure for reverse feeding a full thread.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of two threaded kneading discs conveyed forward.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the structure of two screw kneading discs conveyed in reverse.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the structure of two orthogonal threaded kneading plates.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of a special gear kneader.

FIG. 9 is a view viewed from the direction of arrow U1 in FIG. 8 .

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the gear engagement state of the special gear kneading platen in Fig. 8 in section.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view showing a part of the tooth portion shown in FIG. 9 .

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another example of a special gear kneader.

Fig. 13 is a view seen from the direction of arrow U1 in Fig. 12 .

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the gear engagement state of the special gear kneader shown in Fig. 12 .

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view showing a part of the tooth portion shown in FIG. 13 .

Fig. 16 is a diagram showing another example of a special gear kneader.

FIG. 17 is a view viewed from the direction of arrow U1 in FIG. 16 .

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing the gear engagement state of the special gear kneader in Fig. 16 .

FIG. 19 is an enlarged view showing a part of the tooth portion shown in FIG. 17 .

Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a special fluffering.

FIG. 21 is a view viewed from the direction of arrow U1 in FIG. 20 .

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a seal ring.

Fig. 23 is a view seen from the direction of arrow U1 in Fig. 22 .

Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of Fig. 23 .

Fig. 25 is a diagram showing another example of a seal ring.

FIG. 26 is a view viewed from the direction of arrow U1 in FIG. 25 .

FIG. 27 is a diagram along line B-B in FIG. 26 .

Fig. 28 is a diagram showing another example of a seal ring.

FIG. 29 is a view viewed from the direction of arrow U1 in FIG. 28 .

FIG. 30 is a diagram along line C-C of FIG. 29 .

FIG. 31 is an enlarged view showing a main part of FIG. 28 .

Fig. 32 is a view showing a cross-sectional shape of a guide groove provided in a seal ring.

Fig. 33 is a view showing a cross-sectional shape of a guide groove provided in a seal ring.

Fig. 34 is a view showing a cross-sectional shape of a guide groove provided in a seal ring.

Fig. 35 is a schematic view showing another example of the twin-screw extruder of the present invention.

Fig. 36 is a schematic view showing another example of the twin-screw extruder of the present invention.

Fig. 37 is a schematic view showing another example of the twin-screw extruder of the present invention.

Fig. 38 is a schematic diagram of a gear kneader included in a conventional twin-screw extruder.

FIG. 39 is an enlarged view showing a main part of FIG. 38 .

Label description:

1: cylinder; 1a: passageway; 2: supply port; 3: discharge port; 4: decomposition agent supply part; 4a: first supply part; 4b: second supply part; 5: refrigerant supply part; 6: enzyme Supply section; 11: Coarse crushing area; 12: Pressurized hot water treatment area; 12A: Upstream area; 12B: Downstream area; 13: Cooling area; 14: Saccharification and brewing area; 15: Discharging area; ;31～35: Blocking body; 50: Forward conveying full thread; 52: Reverse conveying full thread; 43: Two thread kneading platen for forward conveying; 54: Two thread kneading platen for reverse conveying; 45: Two orthogonal thread kneading pressure plates; 100: special gear kneading press; 200: special agitator; 300: special sealing ring.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each of the following examples, the case where the treated object is plant biomass is described as an example, but the treated object is not limited to plant biomass, and it is also applicable to the case of treating other processed objects.

Example

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a pretreatment method of a plant biomass treatment product in this example, and FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a barrel and a screw row of a screw extruder.

As shown in Figure 1, the pretreatment method of the plant biomass treatment in this embodiment includes a coarse crushing step S1, a pressurized hot water treatment step S2, a cooling step S3, a saccharification and brewing step S4, and a discharge step S5. The process is carried out sequentially and continuously in the barrel 1 of the screw extruder shown in FIG. 2 .

The screw extruder in this embodiment is a co-rotating twin-screw extruder in which two parallel screw rows rotate in the same direction, and includes a barrel 1 having a passage 1a extending linearly.

The cylinder body 1 is formed with a supply port 2 at one end of the passage 1a, and a discharge port 3 is formed at the other end of the passage 1a, and plant biomass (non-fluid material) such as wood chips is supplied from the supply port 2. , the plant biomass treatment material that has been pretreated in the passage 1a is discharged from the discharge port 3 .

In the passage 1 a of the cylindrical body 1 , two screw shafts 7 connected to a drive motor (not shown) are arranged in parallel as a pair. Various screw segments such as full threads 50, 52, kneading pressure plates 54, 56, 58, etc. are properly combined and installed in series in this pair of screw shafts 7, thereby forming the screw row 9.

The screw row 9 is integrally rotated in the passage 1a by the rotation of the screw shaft 7 driven by the drive motor, constitutes a feeding unit, and includes: a plurality of feeding parts that feed the processed material toward the discharge port 3 by rotation; The shearing/kneading section shears and kneads the processed object; and the barrier provides feeding resistance to the processed object.

In the passage 1 a of the cylinder 1 , a coarse pulverization zone 11 , a pressurized hot water treatment step 12 , a cooling zone 13 , a saccharification and brewing zone 14 , and a discharge zone 15 are arranged in series. The pressurized hot water treatment area 12 is formed between barriers 31 , 33 provided apart from each other on the feed direction upstream side and downstream side of the passage 1 a. In this embodiment, barriers 31 , 32 , and 33 are respectively provided at the upstream, middle, and downstream parts of the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 to form an upstream area 12A and a downstream area 12B.

The cylinder body 1 is provided with: a decomposition agent supply part 4, which supplies the decomposition agent to the pressurized hot water treatment area 12; a refrigerant supply part 5, which supplies refrigerant to the cooling area 13; and an enzyme supply part 6, which supplies the decomposition agent to the saccharification brewing area 14. supply enzymes.

A plurality of decomposing agent supply units 4 are provided at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the passage 1a. In this embodiment, the first supply unit 4a is provided in the upstream area 12A, and the second supply unit 4b is provided in the downstream area 12B. The relationship of the supply amount of the decomposing agent supplied per unit time is set to a relationship of (first supply part 4 a > second supply part 4 b ). The decomposer is supplied from the decomposer supply part 4 into the channel 1 a using, for example, water such as cold water or hot water, acid, alkali, solvent, decaying bacteria, supercritical liquid, etc., and added to the plant biomass treatment.

In addition, the decomposer supply unit 4 may be provided in the coarse pulverization area 11 to supply the decomposer to the coarse pulverization area 11 . For example, by supplying a decomposer such as an acid or decay bacteria to the coarse pulverization area 11, the decomposer can be added simultaneously with pulverization of the plant biomass treatment product, and high efficiency can be achieved.

The refrigerant supply unit 5 adjusts the plant biomass treatment product heated in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 to a temperature optimal for enzyme activity, and supplies a refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen to the cooling area 13 for cooling. The enzyme supply unit 6 supplies enzymes to the plant biomass treatment material. Enzymes are mixed with the plant biomass treatment in the brewing area. The refrigerant supply part 5 and the enzyme supply part 6 may each be provided in plural at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the passage 1a.

A heater (not shown) is provided in the cylinder body 1, and the plant biomass treatment material can be heated in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 so that a high temperature state can be maintained. An appropriate amount of plant biomass is supplied from the supply port 2 into the passage 1a according to time. In this embodiment, woody biomass such as wood chips is used.

Each of the steps S1 to S5 will be described in detail below.

In the coarse crushing area S1, the flake-shaped plant biomass treatment material is mechanically crushed by shearing/friction/dispersion/diffusion/kneading due to the rotation of the screw row 9, and is formed into a size equal to or smaller than a predetermined size. of smaller coarse crushes. Furthermore, the plant biomass processed material formed into a coarsely pulverized body is fed from the coarsely pulverized area 11 to the downstream pressurized hot water treatment area 12 .

The screw column 21 in the coarse crushing area 11 is combined by appropriate combination such as forward conveying full thread 50, forward conveying two thread kneading platen 54, reverse conveying two thread kneading platen 56, orthogonal two thread Knead the pressure plate 58 to form. Furthermore, in the high filling area formed in the coarse crushing area 11 where the filling rate of the treated plant biomass is high, and the feeding area for feeding the treated plant biomass to the downstream pressurized hot water treatment area 12 , at least one of the special gear kneader 100 and the special fluffer 200 is configured.

The special gear kneader 100 and the special fluffer 200 as the screw section of the product of the present invention can generate turbulence in the flow of the plant biomass treatment in the passage 1a, thereby promoting the shearing/thickening of the plant biomass treatment. Pulverization/kneading/dispersion/decomposition. Furthermore, the feed toward the downstream side can be strengthened and stabilized, and the occurrence of embolism can be prevented. In addition, the temperature of the processed plant biomass in the coarse pulverization area was set to room temperature.

In the pressurized hot water treatment area 12, a decomposition agent such as water is supplied into the passage 1a from the first supply part 4a and the second supply part 4b, and is added to the plant biomass treatment product. Furthermore, by the rotation of the screw row 22, the pressurized hot water treatment of the plant biomass treatment material is performed. In the pressurized hot water treatment, the treated plant biomass is miniaturized/kneaded/dispersed/decomposed by the screw row 22 under the action of the pressurized hot water.

The screw row 22 in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 is provided with barriers 31, 32, 33. A high-filling region with a high filling rate of the plant biomass treated material is formed on the upstream side of the barriers 31-33.

By means of the barriers 31-33, the sealing performance of the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 is improved, and the pressure in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 is maintained at a high pressure (for example, 1-30 MPa) above the saturated water vapor pressure.

Barriers 31 and 33 are equipped with special sealing rings 300, and the plant biomass treatment material is used to seal between the special sealing rings 300 and the inner wall surface of the cylinder channel 1a to form an airtight state and increase the pressure in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12. .

In the pressurized hot water treatment area 12, the temperature of the plant biomass treatment product in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 can be maintained at 130°C to 350°C.

Therefore, the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 can be placed under pressurized hot water (high pressure and high temperature), and hydrothermal treatment can be performed to swell and soften the plant biomass treatment material added with the decomposition agent. Therefore, the plant biomass treatment product after the hydrothermal treatment can be easily pulverized by shearing and kneading by the screw row 22 .

In addition, when decay bacteria are added as a decomposition agent, it is maintained at room temperature to 80°C. Furthermore, when supercritical water is added as a decomposition agent, the pressure in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 is set to be equal to or higher than the supercritical pressure.

The screw column 22 is properly assembled with a special sealing ring 300, a special gear kneading device 100, a special scrambler 200, forward conveying full threads 50, reverse conveying full threads 52, forward conveying two thread kneading plates 54, Two threaded kneading platens 56 for reverse delivery, two orthogonal threaded kneading platens 58 etc. are formed.

The pressurized hot water treatment area 12 is divided into an upstream area 12A and a downstream area 12B by a barrier body 32 in the middle. The screws of the screw row 22 are designed as follows: in the high-fill area formed by the barriers 31-33, the feed area for feeding the plant biomass treatment from the upstream area 12A toward the downstream area 12B, and the feed area for feeding the plant biomass treatment from the downstream area 12B. At least one of the special gear kneader 100 and the special fluffer 200 which are the screw segments of the present invention is arranged in each zone of the feeding zone for feeding the plant biomass to the cooling zone 13 .

By arranging the special gear kneader 100 etc. in the high filling area, it is possible to realize the rapid miniaturization/kneading/stirring/dispersion/decomposition of the plant biomass treatment, and by arranging the special gear kneader in the feeding area 100 etc., it is possible to prevent compressive force/frictional force from being locally applied to the plant biomass treatment material, and to prevent embolism from occurring.

The blocking bodies 31 to 33 of the screw row 22 are formed by a combination of a special sealing ring 300 , a reverse conveying full thread 32 , a special gear kneader 100 , and a special stirrer 200 . The relationship of the resistances of the barriers 31 to 33 is set so that the resistance becomes higher as it goes downstream (the upstream barrier 31<the middle barrier 32<the most downstream barrier 33).

In the pressurized hot water treatment area 12, the further the miniaturization/kneading/decomposition of the plant biomass processing material progresses toward the downstream side, the shear resistance/kneading diffusion resistance/flow resistance decreases, therefore, By reducing the gap with the inner wall surface of the passage 1a as it transitions to the downstream side, appropriate flow and filling ratio can be ensured in the upstream region 12A and downstream region 12B, respectively, and diffusion/dispersion with the decomposing agent can be ensured. performance, enabling efficient decomposition.

Furthermore, since the barriers 31 to 33 are arranged at the upstream, intermediate, and downstream portions along the flow direction, compression and expansion can be repeatedly applied to the plant biomass treatment material, and each treatment can be highly efficient.

The first supply part 4 a is arranged on the upstream side in the upstream region 12A, and the second supply part 4 b is arranged on the upstream side in the downstream region 12B. Therefore, the distance for performing hydrothermal treatment in each region can be ensured as long as possible, and hydrothermal treatment can be efficiently performed. For the amount of supply of the decomposer, for example, when the decomposer is water, the ratio of the decomposer to the plant biomass treatment is set at 0.25 to 3, and when the decomposer is acid/alkali/solvent, the ratio of the decomposer to the plant biomass treatment is set to 0.25 to 3. The ratio of plant biomass treated matter was set to 0.01-1.

The pressurized hot water treatment area 12 maintains high pressure and high temperature through the special sealing ring 300, so that hydrothermal treatment for softening plant biomass treatment products can be efficiently performed. Thus, the treated plant biomass is finely pulverized by the shearing/kneading/dispersing/decomposing action of the screw row 22 to be finer than the treated plant biomass in the coarse pulverization area 11 . The first supply part 4a and the second supply part 4b are equipped with the same number as the high filling area formed in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 in order to perform hydrothermal treatment efficiently.

The supply position of the decomposing agent supply unit 4 may also be set according to conditions such as pressure and temperature in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 . By supplying the decomposer to an appropriate position, miniaturization/kneading/stirring/dispersion/decomposition of the plant biomass treated material can be rapidly performed, and excess supply of the treatment agent can be prevented. The plant biomass treated in the pressurized hot water treatment zone 12 is fed to the cooling zone 13 located downstream.

In the cooling step S3 , a process of cooling the plant biomass treatment object in the cooling zone 13 is performed by supplying a refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen from the refrigerant supply unit 5 into the passage 1 a. The screw row 23 is constituted by combining only the screw segments that have a feeding function such as the forward feeding full flight 50 .

Plant biomass is heated in the pressurized hot water treatment zone 12, so the temperature immediately after being fed from the pressurized hot water treatment zone 12 is high, which is not a preferable temperature for enzymes. Therefore, if enzymes are added in the saccharification and brewing step S4 while maintaining the above-mentioned temperature conditions, saccharification by enzymes may become difficult. Therefore, a cooling step S3 is provided between the pressurized hot water treatment step S2 and the saccharification and brewing step S4 to cool the high-temperature processed plant biomass to an appropriate temperature, and appropriately perform saccharification by enzymes. In addition, the temperature of the processed plant biomass in the cooling zone 13 is cooled to 40° C. to 50° C. by the coolant.

In the saccharification and brewing step S4 , the enzyme is supplied from the enzyme supply unit 6 into the passage 1 a, and the treatment of mixing the enzyme with the plant biomass treatment product is performed in the saccharification and brewing area 14 .

The screw row 24 in the saccharification and brewing area 14 is properly combined such as a special sealing ring 300, a special gear kneading device 100, a special scrambler 200, forward conveying full threads 50, reverse conveying full threads 52, and forward conveying full threads 52. Knead the pressure plate 54 of screw thread, knead the pressure plate 56 of two screw threads of reverse conveyance, knead the pressure plate 58 etc. of two threads of orthogonal and constitute. A predetermined amount of enzyme liquid is supplied from the enzyme supply unit 6 into the passage 1 a and added to the plant biomass treatment product (for example, 40 FPU) in the saccharification and brewing area 14 .

For the plant biomass treatment, if the treatment progresses further in the saccharification and brewing process S4, the viscosity will become higher, and there is a concern that operators, etc., cannot mix it sufficiently. However, since the screw 24 is used in the saccharification and brewing area Mixing allows the enzyme to be sufficiently mixed with the plant biomass treatment. The plant biomass treatment is mixed with enzymes in the brewing zone 14 and then fed to the downstream discharge zone 15 .

In the discharging step S5, the plant biomass mixed with the enzyme in the saccharification and brewing area 14 is discharged as a pre-treated product, and the gas component is removed from the plant biomass processed product after the saccharification and brewing. A vent 8 for degassing is provided in the cylinder body 1 . The vent 8 communicates between the discharge area 15 of the passage 1 a and the outside, and can discharge part of the gas components in the discharge area 15 .

By discharging a part of the gaseous components from the ventilation port 8, the water content of the decomposer in the plant biomass treatment can be appropriately adjusted, and unnecessary gaseous components can be removed, so that it can be optimally supplied to the saccharification process as a post-process, etc. State plant biomass treatment. The treated plant biomass discharged from the discharge port 3 is converted into ethanol through the same steps (saccharification, fermentation, and purification) as in the past.

The screw column 25 in the discharge area 15 is formed by appropriately combining the two threaded pressing plates 54 conveyed in the forward direction, the two threaded pressing plates 56 transported in the reverse direction, and the two orthogonal threaded pressing plates 58. constitute. Furthermore, at least one of the special gear kneader 100 and the special smoother 200 is arranged in the downstream region for discharging the plant biomass processed material from the discharge port 3 .

According to the above-mentioned pretreatment method of plant biomass, since the plant biomass can be coarsely pulverized to below the preset size, add a decomposition agent and carry out pressurized hot water treatment in the extruder continuously in sequence, until the Since it is the pretreatment up to saccharification and brewing by mixing enzymes, it is possible to carry out a series of processes such as coarse pulverization, pressurized hot water treatment, and saccharification and brewing which have been performed independently in the past. Therefore, the pretreatment can be performed efficiently, the equipment can be simplified, the equipment cost can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Screw shape

Each of the screw segments constituting the screw row 9 in this embodiment will be described below.

Fig.3 (A), (B) is a figure which shows an example of forward feeding full thread, and Fig.4 (A), (B) is a figure which shows an example of reverse feeding full thread. In addition, in FIG. 3(B) and FIG. 4(B), the substantially circular inner wall surface of the passage 1a of the cylindrical body 1 is omitted.

The forward feeding full flight 50 sets the helical direction of the flight 50i so that the downstream conveying ability can be ensured, and the reverse feeding full flight 52 sets the helical direction of the flight 52i so that the downstream feeding ability decreases.

An example of two screw kneading discs 54 conveyed in the forward direction is shown in Fig. 5(A) and (B). The two threaded kneading plates 54 conveyed in the forward direction have substantially oval paddles 54e having tops 54x, and are arranged in series so that the paddles 54e descend toward the right and the tops 54x descend.

An example of two screw kneading discs 56 conveyed in reverse direction is shown in Fig. 6(A) and (B). The two spiral kneading plates 56 conveyed in reverse are provided with substantially oval paddles 56e having tops 56x, and are arranged in series so that the paddles 56e rise toward the right and the tops 56x rise.

7(A) and (B) are diagrams showing an example of two orthogonal thread kneading discs 58. The two orthogonal thread kneading discs 28 are substantially oval paddles 58e having tops 58x. Arranged in series at an inclination angle of 90°. The two orthogonal thread kneading platens 58 do not have a helix angle, so they have almost no conveying ability, but have high shearing ability, high dispersion ability and mixing ability.

Conveying the full thread 50 in the forward direction, conveying the full thread 52 in the reverse direction, kneading the pressure plates 54 of the two threads conveyed in the forward direction, kneading the pressure plates 56 of the two threads in the reverse direction, and kneading the pressure plates 58 of the two threads in the orthogonal direction, along the Through-holes 51 , 53 , 55 , 57 , and 59 for inserting and fixing the screw shaft 7 are formed along the central axis.

Next, the structure of the special gear kneader as the screw segment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a special gear kneading device, Fig. 9 is a view of the special gear kneading device shown in Fig. A schematic diagram showing a gear fitting state of the special gear kneader shown in FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged view showing a part of the tooth portion shown in FIG. 9 .

As shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 , the special gear kneader 100 is composed of a first rotating body 101 and a second rotating body 102 . Each of the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 has a structure in which a cylindrical shaft portion 111 includes a plurality of tooth portions 112 .

As shown in FIG. 9 , a hexagonal through-hole 110 is formed in the shaft portion 111 along the central axis of the shaft portion 111 . The special gear kneader 100 can rotate integrally with the screw shaft 7 by inserting the screw shaft 7 into the through hole 110 and fixing it.

As shown in FIG. 9 , a plurality of tooth portions 112 are provided so as to protrude at predetermined intervals in the axial circumferential direction of the shaft portion 111 , and in this embodiment, six tooth portions 112 are arranged at predetermined intervals. The number of teeth 112 is not limited to this embodiment, as long as it is more than one.

And, as shown in FIG. 8, the above-mentioned plurality of tooth portions 112 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the axial length direction of the shaft portion 111, that is, the feed direction U1. When the portion 112 is described as one tooth portion group, it is arranged so that a total of four tooth portion groups are formed in the feeding direction U1. The number of tooth part groups is not limited to this Example, What is necessary is just to be plural.

The tooth portion 112 has a certain thickness and width along the axial length direction of the shaft portion 111, and a front surface 113 along the radial direction of the shaft portion 111 is formed on the front side in the axial length direction, that is, the upstream side in the feeding direction. The rear side, that is, the feed direction downstream side, is formed with a rear surface 114 along the radial direction of the first shaft portion 111 .

And, as shown in FIG. 9, the tooth portion 112 has: the tooth surfaces 116, 117 protruding outward from the shaft cylinder outer peripheral surface 115 of the shaft portion 111 and extending along the axial length direction; Between the upper end of the continuous head surface 118.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the tooth surfaces 116 and 117 are inclined so as to transition to the rear side in the rotation direction as they transition to the downstream side in the feed direction, and have a predetermined helix angle (lead angle). If the tooth surfaces 116 and 117 of the plurality of tooth portions 112 continuous at predetermined intervals in the axial direction are connected in the axial direction, a spiral lead line shown by a phantom line T in FIG. 8 can be obtained. When the first rotator 101 or the second rotator 102 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the helix angle of the tooth surfaces 116 and 117 of the tooth portion 112 ensures the feedability of the plant biomass treatment in the direction of the arrow U1.

As shown in FIG. 11 , among the pair of tooth surfaces 116 and 117 , the tooth surface 116 located on the front side in the rotation direction of the first rotating body 101 or the second rotating body 102 has a curved surface 116 a with a concave arc shape in cross section, The curved surface 116a rises smoothly from the outer peripheral surface 115 of the shaft cylinder toward the radially outer side of the shaft; It protrudes radially outward, and is inclined toward the front side in the rotation direction at an inclination angle θ so as to transition toward the front side in the rotation direction as it goes radially outside.

On the other hand, the tooth surface 117 located on the rear side in the rotation direction protrudes radially outward from the shaft cylinder outer peripheral surface 115, and has a planar shape inclined so as to transition to the front side in the rotation direction as it transitions radially outward. In this embodiment, it is formed so as to be parallel to the vertical wall surface 116 b of the tooth surface 116 .

The parietal surface 118 has an arc shape centered on the axis O of the shaft portion 111 and is formed to face the inner wall surface of the perfectly circular passage 1a with a predetermined gap therebetween as shown in FIG. 9 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , in the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 , the tooth portion 112 of the other shaft portion 111 is located between the tooth portions 112 arranged at predetermined intervals in the axial length direction of the one shaft portion 111 . The tooth portions 112 of the first rotating body 101 and the tooth portions 112 of the second rotating body 102 are arranged alternately in the axial length direction. Between the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102, as shown in FIG. 10 , a U-shaped and an inverted U-shaped gap is formed in a continuous manner in the feed direction, that is, the direction of the arrow U1, so as to ensure that the special gear kneads. The kneading performance and dispersion performance at the press 100. Furthermore, a predetermined interval is formed between the rear surface 114 of the tooth portion 112 located upstream in the feed direction and the front surface 113 of the tooth portion 112 partially opposed to the rear surface 114 located downstream in the feed direction. d1.

By narrowing the distance d1, the barrier properties against the feeding of the plant biomass processed material can be increased, and it can function as a barrier that suppresses the feeding of the plant biomass processed material. Therefore, the gear kneader 100 is preferably arranged at a place where a high filling area is formed in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 of the cylinder body 1 .

Each shaft portion 111 of the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 has a boss portion 111 a protruding in the axial length direction from the frontmost tooth portion 112 located upstream in the feed direction. The boss portion 111a can prevent the plant biomass treatment material fed from the upstream side of the feeding direction from colliding with the front surface 113 of the tooth portion 112 located at the front while maintaining its flow velocity, thereby preventing the tooth portion from 112 locally applies a sharp compressive/frictional force, which can reduce torque fluctuations acting on the motor that drives the screw shaft to rotate.

Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 , the rotation timing of the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 is set such that the tooth portion 112 of one shaft portion 111 and the tooth portion 112 of the other shaft portion 111 are set at the second The intermediate positions between the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 approach and intersect each other.

According to the special gear kneader 100 having the above-mentioned structure, since the tooth surface 116 formed on the front side in the rotation direction of the tooth portion 112 has the vertical wall surface 116b inclined at an inclination angle θ as it goes to the front side in the rotation direction, it is possible to reduce the The force acting on the plant biomass treatment object due to the rotation of the first rotation shaft 101 and the second rotation shaft 102 is directed outward in the axial direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the plant biomass treatment material from moving outward in the passage 1 a of the cylinder 1 due to the centrifugal force and to locally apply compressive force/frictional force, thereby preventing the generation of embolism (aggregate).

FIG. 38 is a schematic diagram of a gear kneading platen 910 included in a known twin-screw extruder, and FIG. 39 is an enlarged view showing a main part of FIG. 38 . As shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, the tooth portion 912 of the conventional gear kneader 910 protrudes radially from the shaft portion 911, and the tooth surface 916 on the front side in the rotation direction among the pair of tooth surfaces 916, 917 has a A planar shape that transitions radially outward and toward the rear in the direction of rotation.

Therefore, the flowable material such as wood powder flies outward in the radial direction of the first rotating body 901 and the second rotating body 902 due to the centrifugal force, and compressive force is locally applied as shown by the thin arrows in FIG. 39 . /Frictional force will generate a high-density/high-strength embolism at the outermost part of the passage 1a at an early stage. Furthermore, the rotation of the first rotating body 901 and the second rotating body 902 may be hindered due to the compression resistance/frictional force of the plug, overloading (motor torque is too large), and feeding may become difficult.

In contrast, for the special gear kneader 100 of the present invention, particularly as shown in FIG. 11 , the tooth surface 116 of the tooth portion 112 on the front side in the rotation direction has a longitudinal direction inclined at an inclination angle θ toward the front side in the rotation direction. Therefore, the wall surface portion 116b can reduce the axially outward force acting on the plant biomass treatment material, and can effectively prevent clogging in the passage 1a of the cylinder 1 . Furthermore, by preventing clogging, the screw shaft 7 can be prevented from being deformed in the axial direction, and wear and overload due to contact between the tooth portion 112 and the passage 1 a of the cylinder body 1 can be prevented in advance.

And, when the rotation of the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 makes the tooth portions 112 adjacent in the axial direction move in the direction facing each other to shear the plant biomass treatment object, Since shearing can be performed by the vertical wall surface portion 116b inclined at the inclination angle θ toward the front side in the rotation direction, the force required for shearing the plant biomass treatment material can be reduced. Therefore, the driving force of the extruder can be further reduced, and the size of the driving motor can be reduced.

In addition, as shown by a phantom line T in FIG. 8 , the tooth surface 116 of the tooth portion 112 has a predetermined helix angle with respect to the axial length direction, so that the plant biomass treatment material can be moved from the upstream side of the feeding direction to the downstream side. By applying a force to the plant biomass treatment material in a manner, the radially outward force can be reduced, and the outermost part in the passage 1a of the cylinder 1 can be prevented from being highly compressed.

In addition, in the above-mentioned special gear kneader 100, the case where all the plurality of tooth portions 112 arranged at predetermined intervals in the axial length direction all have a constant helix angle (lead angle) has been described as an example. The size of the helix angle can be changed according to the position in the axial length direction. For example, by increasing the helix angle of the tooth surfaces 116, 117 of the tooth portion 112 located on the upstream side in the feed direction, and decreasing the helix angle of the tooth surfaces 116, 117 of the tooth portion 112 located on the downstream side in the feed direction, it is possible to make The feed rate on the upstream side is larger than the feed rate on the downstream side. Furthermore, the filling rate/density of the plant biomass treatment material can be changed according to the position in the axial length direction, and more effective treatments such as shearing/diffusion can be performed.

Next, Fig. 20 and Fig. 21 show an example of a special scrambler 200 which is a screw segment of the product of the present invention. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a special scrambler, and FIG. 21 is a diagram of FIG. 20 viewed from the direction of arrow U1 , which is the feeding direction of the plant biomass treatment material. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same component as the above-mentioned special fluffer 100, and detailed description is abbreviate|omitted.

The special fluffer 200 is composed of a first rotating body 201 and a second rotating body 202 . Each of the first rotating body 201 and the second rotating body 202 has a structure in which a cylindrical shaft portion 211 includes a plurality of teeth portions 112 . As shown in FIG. 21 , a plurality of tooth portions 112 are provided so as to protrude at predetermined intervals in the axial circumferential direction of the shaft portion 211 , and in this embodiment, six tooth portions 112 are arranged at predetermined intervals.

As shown in FIG. 20 , the first rotating body 201 has the following structure: the tooth portion 112 is provided on the front side of the shaft portion 211 in the axial direction, that is, the upstream side in the feeding direction, and the shaft portion 211 faces toward the rear side in the axial direction, that is, The downstream side in the feed direction protrudes. Furthermore, the second rotating body 202 has a structure in which the tooth portion 112 is provided on the feed direction downstream side of the shaft portion 211 and the shaft portion 211 protrudes toward the feed direction upstream side.

The first rotating body 201 and the second rotating body 202 are opposite to the shaft portion 211 of the second rotating body 202 with the tooth portion 112 of the first rotating body 201 and the tooth portion 112 of the second rotating body 202 is aligned with the first rotating body 201 The shaft portions 211 of the shafts 211 are disposed so as to face each other, and the tooth portions 112 of the first rotating body 201 and the tooth portions 112 of the second rotating body 202 are disposed at positions close to each other in the feeding direction.

Between the first rotator 201 and the second rotator 202 , along the feeding direction, that is, the arrow U1 direction, a crank-shaped channel is formed to ensure the mixing performance and dispersion performance of the special fluffer 200 .

The first rotating body 201 includes a boss portion 211 a that protrudes further in the axial length direction than the tooth portion 112 . Furthermore, the second rotating body 202 is provided with a shaft portion 211 on the upstream side in the feed direction relative to the tooth portion 112 .

The boss portion 211a of the first rotating body 201 and the shaft portion 211 of the second rotating body 202 can prevent the plant biomass treatment material fed from the upstream side of the feeding direction from colliding with the frontmost plant while maintaining its flow velocity. When the front surface 113 of the tooth portion 112 collides, it is possible to prevent a local sudden compressive force from being applied to the tooth portion 112 , and it is possible to reduce torque variation acting on the motor that drives the screw shaft 7 to rotate.

For example, as shown in FIG. 21 , the rotation timing of the first rotating body 201 and the second rotating body 202 is set such that the tooth portion 112 of one shaft portion 211 and the tooth portion 112 of the other shaft portion 211 rotate in the first rotation. The middle position between the body 201 and the second rotating body 202 approaches and intersects each other.

Step portions 121 , 122 are formed at the tip portion of the tooth portion 112 . In the example shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 , the six tooth portions 122 arranged in the axial circumferential direction of the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 are all provided with stepped portions 121 . The stepped portions 121 and 122 may not be provided on all the tooth portions 112 included in the special fluffer 200 . The arrangement positions, intervals, number, etc. of the teeth portion 112 having the stepped portions 121 and 122 are appropriately set according to the situation.

The stepped portion 121 is formed at the edge between the front surface 113 and the parietal surface 118 of the tooth portion 112 spanning between the tooth surfaces 116 and 117 , and the stepped portion 122 is formed at the edge between the rear surface 114 of the tooth portion 112 and the parietal surface 118 A portion is formed spanning between the tooth surfaces 116 , 117 . Therefore, the thickness width of each tooth portion 112 on the addendum side becomes narrower than the thickness width on the dedendum side.

The stepped portion 121 is formed by cutting the edge portion between the front surface 113 and the parietal surface 118 of the tooth portion 112 into a stepped shape, and has a position radially inward of the parietal surface 118 and has a constant width in the axial direction. and an axially radially stepped surface 121b located on the downstream side of the front surface 113 in the feeding direction and having a certain width in the axially radial direction.

The stepped portion 122 is formed by cutting the edge portion between the rear surface 114 and the crown surface 118 of the tooth portion 112 into a stepped shape, and has a position radially inward of the crown surface 118 and has a certain width in the axial direction. and an axially radially stepped surface 122b that is located on the upstream side of the rear surface 114 in the feeding direction and has a certain width in the axially radial direction.

According to the special scrambler 200 having the above-mentioned structure, since the tooth portion 112 has the vertical wall surface portion 116b inclined at the inclination angle θ toward the front side in the rotation direction, the effect on the plant biomass treatment material toward the outside in the axial direction can be reduced. force. Therefore, it is possible to prevent high-density/high-strength plugs (aggregates) from being locally applied to the plant biomass treatment material in the passage 1a of the cylinder 1 due to compressive force/friction force.

Furthermore, by preventing clogging, the screw shaft 7 can be prevented from being deformed in the axial direction, and wear and overload due to contact between the tooth portion 112 and the passage 1 a of the cylinder body 1 can be prevented.

In addition, when the teeth 112 adjacent to each other in the axial length direction are moved toward mutually opposing directions by the rotation of the first rotator 201 and the second rotator 202 to shear the plant biomass treatment material, Since shearing can be performed by the vertical wall surface portion 116b inclined at the inclination angle θ toward the front side in the rotation direction, the force required for shearing the plant biomass treatment material can be reduced. Therefore, the driving force of the extruder can be further reduced, and the size of the driving motor can be reduced.

In addition, since the tooth surface 116 of the tooth portion 112 has a helix angle indicated by a phantom line T, the plant biomass treated material can be prevented from being highly compressed radially outward and can be fed axially rearward.

Furthermore, since the tooth portion 112 is provided with stepped portions 121, 122, the thickness width of the tooth portion 112 on the tooth tip side becomes narrower than the thickness width of the tooth root side, and the tooth surface 116 is narrower than the tooth surface 116 on the tooth portion 112 tooth top side. The dedendum side of the portion 112 is narrow.

Therefore, it is possible to reduce the feeding component and the shearing force at the outermost part in the path 1a where the plant biomass processed material becomes dense. Therefore, the torque for rotating the screw shaft 7 can be reduced, and the drive motor can be downsized.

Moreover, the stepped portions 121, 122 can relax the compressive force/friction force locally applied to the plant biomass treatment object by the tooth portion 112, and can prevent the plant biomass treatment object from being in the outermost part of the passage 1a at an early stage of high density/high density. Reinforced to prevent embolism.

The structure of the special fluffer 200 is not limited to the said Example, Various changes and combinations are possible. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the tooth portion 112 of the special scrambler 200 has two stepped portions 121, 122 has been described as an example, but it may also be formed such that the tooth portion 112 is provided with the stepped portion 121, 122, or a structure in which no step portion 121, 122 is provided. In addition, it may be formed such that, for example, the chamfered portion 131 is provided on the tooth portion 112 (refer to the description of Embodiment 3 of the special gear kneader 100 described later).

Next, an example of a special seal ring 300 is shown in FIGS. 22 to 24 . Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a special sealing ring, Fig. 23 is a diagram of Fig. 22 viewed from the direction of arrow U1, which is the feeding direction of the plant biomass treatment material, and Fig. 24 is a view taken along the line A-A of Fig. 23 from the arrow Orientation diagram.

As shown in FIGS. 22 to 24 , the special seal ring 300 is composed of a first rotating body 301 and a second rotating body 302 . The first rotating body 301 and the second rotating body 302 each have a structure including a cylindrical shaft portion 311 and a diameter-enlarged portion 312 that expands in diameter at one end of the shaft portion 311 .

As shown in FIG. 22 , the first rotating body 301 is provided with an enlarged diameter portion 312 on the front side of the shaft portion 311 in the axial direction, that is, the upstream side in the feeding direction, and has a shaft portion 311 that faces toward the rear side in the axial direction, that is, the feeding direction. A structure that protrudes toward the downstream side. Furthermore, the second rotating body 302 is provided with an enlarged diameter portion 312 on the downstream side of the shaft portion 311 in the feeding direction, and has a structure in which the shaft portion 311 protrudes toward the upstream side of the feeding direction.

The first rotator 301 and the second rotator 302 face each other with the enlarged diameter portion 312 of the first rotator 301 facing the shaft portion 311 of the second rotator 302, and the enlarged diameter portion 312 of the second rotator 302 is aligned with the first rotator. The shaft portion 311 of the body 301 is disposed so as to face each other, and the enlarged diameter portion 312 of the first rotating body 301 and the enlarged diameter portion 312 of the second rotating body 302 are disposed at positions close to each other in the feed direction.

As shown in FIG. 23 , the first rotating body 301 and the second rotating body 302 overlap each other in the feed direction in a manner that a part of the enlarged diameter portion 312 is at an intermediate position between the first rotating body 301 and the second rotating body 302 . Configured to ensure the sealing performance between the upstream side and the downstream side of the feed direction at the special seal ring 300.

The first rotating body 301 has a boss portion 311 a that protrudes further in the axial length direction than the enlarged diameter portion 312 . Furthermore, the second rotating body 302 is provided with a shaft portion 311 on the upstream side in the feed direction from the enlarged diameter portion 312 .

The boss portion 311a of the first rotating body 301 and the shaft portion 311 of the second rotating body 302 can prevent the plant biomass treatment material fed from the upstream side of the feeding direction from colliding with the enlarged diameter portion 312 while maintaining its flow velocity. By colliding with the front surface 313 of the enlarged diameter portion 312, it is possible to prevent a sudden local compression force from being applied to the enlarged diameter portion 312, and it is possible to reduce torque fluctuations acting on the motor that drives the screw shaft 7 to rotate.

As shown in FIG. 23 , a hexagonal through-hole 310 is formed in the shaft portion 311 along the central axis of the shaft portion 311 . The special seal ring 300 can rotate integrally with the screw shaft 300 by inserting and fixing the screw shaft 7 of the extruder into the through hole 310 .

The diameter-enlarged portion 312 has a short-axis cylindrical shape with a predetermined axial length continuous with a certain diameter along the axial length direction of the shaft portion 311, and its size is set to be between the outer peripheral surface 316 of the diameter-enlarged portion 312 and the inner wall surface of the passage 1a. The size of opposite sides separated by a predetermined gap.

A guide groove 317 is recessed on the outer peripheral surface 316 of the enlarged diameter portion 312 . As shown in FIG. 22 , the guide groove 317 extends from the front surface 313 to the rear surface 314 of the enlarged diameter portion 312 , and communicates between the upstream side and the downstream side of the enlarged diameter portion 31 in the feeding direction.

The guide groove 317 has a predetermined helix angle (lead angle), and transitions to the rear side in the rotation direction as it transitions to the downstream side in the feed direction. In this embodiment, the guide groove 317 is formed to extend along a helical imaginary line T shown in FIG. 22 .

The guide groove 317 allows the plant biomass treatment material fed from the position upstream of the diameter-enlarged portion 312 in the feeding direction to pass through the passage 1a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the position on the upstream side in the feeding direction from the special seal ring 300 from becoming excessively high in pressure, and it is possible to prevent clogging from occurring on the upstream side in the feeding direction.

Regarding the guide groove 317, when the first rotating body 301 and the second rotating body 302 rotate in the direction of the arrow, the plant biomass treatment material can be fed downstream by the helix angle of the guide groove 317. When the helix angle of the guide groove 317 is zero, and when the guide groove 317 extends parallel to the central axis of the shaft portion 311, the conveyance capacity of the plant biomass treated material is zero, and the special seal ring 300 holds the plant biomass The treated object is unwrapped while being cut. At least one guide groove 317 is provided, and in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 23 , a total of eight guide grooves 317 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The guide groove 317 can generate turbulence in the flow of the plant biomass treatment material passing between the inner wall surface of the passage 1a and the special sealing ring 300, and can ease the fluctuation of the plant biomass treatment material located on the upstream side of the special sealing ring 300 and The feed component which imparts the flow direction has a pressure/fluidity unloading element, and can achieve a smooth blocking/holding state of the plant biomass treatment material.

Therefore, the feeding resistance that suppresses the feeding of the plant biomass treatment material in the passage 1 a of the cylinder 1 can be stabilized, and the pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the special seal ring 300 can be maintained. Therefore, for example, pressure can be maintained in the pressurized hot water treatment area 12 formed between the barriers 31 and 33 of the cylinder 1, and pressure fluctuations in the pressurized hot water area can be suppressed to maintain high temperature and high pressure.

In addition, the feed of the plant biomass treatment material can be suppressed by the guide groove 317 and a part thereof can be guided toward the downstream side of the cylinder body 1 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent excessive high pressure on the upstream side of the special seal ring 300 , and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of clogging (coagulum) on the upstream side of the special seal ring 300 .

Step portions 321 , 322 are respectively provided on the feed direction upstream side and the feed direction downstream side of the enlarged diameter portion 312 . The step portion 321 is formed so as to continue circumferentially at the edge portion between the front surface 313 and the outer peripheral surface 316 , and the step portion 322 is formed so as to continue circumferentially at the edge portion between the rear surface 314 and the outer peripheral surface 316 .

The stepped portion 321 is formed by cutting the edge portion between the front surface 313 and the outer peripheral surface 316 of the enlarged diameter portion 321 into a stepped shape, and has a position located radially inward of the outer peripheral surface 316 and has a certain height in the axial direction. The axial length direction step difference surface 321a of the width; and the axial radial step difference surface 321b which is located on the downstream side of the feeding direction from the front surface 313 and has a certain width in the axial radial direction.

The stepped portion 322 is formed by cutting the edge portion between the rear surface 314 and the outer peripheral surface 316 of the enlarged diameter portion 312 into a stepped shape, and has a position located radially inward of the outer peripheral surface 316 and has a certain height in the axial direction. The axial length direction step difference surface 322a of the width; and the axial radial step difference surface 322b which is located on the upstream side of the rear surface 314 in the feeding direction and has a certain width in the axial radial direction.

The stepped portion 321 can use the enlarged diameter portion 312 to alleviate the compressive force/friction force locally applied to the plant biomass treatment, and can prevent the early high density/friction of the plant biomass treatment at the outermost part in the radial direction in the passage 1a. High strength can prevent embolism.

Furthermore, the stepped portion 321 can reduce the surface area of the front surface 313 of the enlarged diameter portion 312 . Therefore, the compressive force/frictional force generated when the plant biomass treatment material fed from the upstream side of the feeding direction abuts against the front surface 313 of the diameter-enlarged portion 312 can be relatively small. Therefore, the torque for rotating the screw shaft 7 can be reduced, and the drive motor can be downsized.

In addition, the structure of the guide groove 317 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the unloading factor/full rate can be easily changed by appropriately changing the number of guide grooves 317, the size of the groove, the shape of the groove, and the like.

<Example 2>

Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15 . In Embodiment 2, another example of the special gear kneader 100 which is the screw segment of the product of the present invention will be described. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another example of the special gear kneading device, Fig. 13 is a view of the special gear kneading device viewed from the direction of arrow U1 shown in Fig. Fig. 15 is an enlarged view showing a part of the teeth.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the special gear kneader 100 is characterized in that a stepped portion 121 is formed at the end portion of the tooth portion 112 . In the examples shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 , the six tooth portions 112 arranged in the axial circumferential direction in the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 are all provided with stepped portions 121 .

The step portion 121 may not be provided on all the tooth portions 112 included in the special gear kneader 100 . Arrangement positions, intervals, numbers, etc. of the tooth portions 112 having the stepped portions 121 are appropriately set according to circumstances.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , the stepped portion 121 is formed across the edge portion between the front surface 113 and the top surface 118 of the tooth portion 112 across the tooth surfaces 116, 117, so that the end side of each tooth portion 112 The thickness width is narrower than the thickness width on the base end side.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 , the stepped portion 212 is formed by cutting the edge portion between the front surface 113 of the tooth portion 112 and the crown surface 118 into a stepped shape, and has: and an axially stepped surface 121b located on the downstream side of the front surface 113 in the feeding direction and having a certain width in the axial direction.

By forming the stepped portion 121, the tooth portion 112 is formed such that the thickness width of the distal end side of the tooth portion 112 is narrower than the thickness width of the base end side, so the radial direction in the passage 1a where the plant biomass treatment material becomes dense can be reduced. Feed composition and shear forces on the outside. Therefore, the torque for rotating the screw shaft can be reduced, and the size of the drive motor can be reduced.

Furthermore, the stepped portion 121 can relax the compressive force/frictional force locally applied to the plant biomass treatment material by the tooth portion 112, and can prevent the plant biomass treatment material from being high in the early stage at the outermost part in the radial direction in the passage 1a. Density/high strength can prevent embolism.

<Example 3>

Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19 . In Embodiment 3, another example of the special gear kneader 100 which is the screw segment of the product of the present invention will be described. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing another example of the special gear kneading device, Fig. 17 is a view of the special gear kneading device viewed from the arrow U1 direction shown in Fig. Fig. 19 is an enlarged view showing a part of the teeth.

In particular, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 19 , the special gear kneader 100 is characterized in that a chamfer 131 is formed at the end portion of the tooth portion 112 . The chamfered portion 131 may not be provided on all the tooth portions 112 of the special gear kneader 100, as long as at least one of the plurality of tooth portions 112 arranged at predetermined intervals in the axial circumferential direction is provided with a chamfered portion. 131 , and at least one of the plurality of tooth portions 112 arranged at predetermined intervals in the axial length direction is provided with a chamfered portion 131 .

The arrangement positions, intervals, numbers, etc. of the tooth portions 112 having the chamfered portions 131 are appropriately set according to circumstances. In the examples shown in FIGS. 16 to 19 , three of the six tooth portions 112 arranged in the axial circumferential direction in the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 are provided with chamfered portions 131 . The teeth 112 having the chamfers 131 and the teeth 112 not having the chamfers 131 are alternately arranged in the axial circumferential direction.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 19 , the chamfer portion 131 is formed between the front surface 113 and the rear surface 114 of the tooth portion 112 at the edge portion between the tooth surface 116 and the crown surface 118 , and has a A planar shape that is inclined in the way that the side transitions toward the radially outer side of the shaft.

The chamfered portion 131 is provided at the tip portion of the tooth portion 112 and is inclined so as to transition outward in the axial radial direction as it transitions toward the rear side in the rotation direction. A part of the biomass-processed material moves to the rear side in the rotation direction of the tooth part 112 through between the chamfered part 131 and the inner wall surface of the passage 1a.

In addition, the chamfered portion 131 can reduce the feed component and the shearing force on the radially outer side in the passage 1a where the plant biomass processed material becomes dense. Therefore, the torque for rotating the screw shaft 7 can be reduced, and the drive motor can be downsized.

In addition, the chamfered portion 131 can relax the compressive force/friction force locally applied to the plant biomass treatment object by the tooth portion 112, and can prevent the plant biomass treatment object from being damaged at an early stage in the radially outermost part of the passage 1a. High density/strength can prevent embolism.

As shown in FIG. 18 , between the first rotating body 101 and the second rotating body 102 , U-shaped and inverted U-shaped gaps are formed so as to be continuous in the arrow U1 direction. The chamfered portion 131 can prevent densification/strengthening of the plant biomass treatment material present on the front side in the rotation direction of the tooth portion 112 . Therefore, the distance d3 between the rear surface 114 of the tooth portion 112 located upstream in the feed direction and the front surface 113 of the tooth portion 112 partially opposed to the rear surface 114 and located downstream in the feed direction can be further narrowed. (d3<d1, d3<d2). Therefore, the processed plant biomass can be further miniaturized between the plurality of tooth portions 112 arranged along the axial length direction.

The structure of the special gear kneader 100 is not limited to the contents of the above-mentioned embodiments, and various combinations are possible. For example, the tooth portion 112 having the stepped portion 121 and the tooth portion 112 having the chamfered portion 131 may be configured, and the tooth portion 112 may be configured to have both the stepped portion 121 and the chamfered portion 131 .

<Example 4>

Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 25 to 27 . In Embodiment 4, another example of the special seal ring 300 will be described. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a sealing ring, FIG. 26 is a diagram of FIG. 25 viewed from the direction of arrow U1, which is the feeding direction of the plant biomass treatment, and FIG. 27 is viewed from the direction of the arrow along the line B-B in FIG. 25 Observed graph.

As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 , the special sealing ring 300 is characterized in that a recess 323 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 316 . The concave portion 323 has a shape in which the upstream side in the feeding direction is opened forward, the downstream side in the feeding direction is narrower than the upstream side in the feeding direction, and communicates with the upstream portion of the guide groove 317 .

A total of eight guide grooves 317 are provided on the outer peripheral surface 316 of the enlarged diameter portion 312 , and the recesses 323 are provided at positions corresponding to the respective guide grooves 317 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 26 , the concave portion 323 has almost the same depth as the guide groove 317 . Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 25 , it has a semicircular shape protruding from the axial direction of the stepped portion 321 toward the downstream side in the feed direction from the stepped surface 321 b. Furthermore, a guide groove 317 is connected to an end portion on the downstream side in the feed direction of the concave portion 323 .

The recessed part 323 can move to the outermost part in the path|path 1a, stirring a part of plant biomass processing material. Therefore, the flow of the plant biomass treatment material between the special sealing ring 300 and the passage 1a can be made into a more complicated flow, and the upstream side and the downstream side of the special sealing ring 300 can be sealed, and it is possible to carry out the sealing process between the special sealing ring 300 and the passageway 1a. Packing of the area formed between the upstream sealing ring 330 of 1a and the special sealing ring 300 disposed downstream.

In addition, the concave portion 323 has a semicircular shape that becomes narrower as it transitions toward the downstream side of the feed direction, so that the compressive force/frictional force locally applied to the plant biomass treatment object by the outer peripheral surface 316 of the special seal ring 300 can be relaxed, It is possible to prevent the densification/strength of the plant biomass treatment material in the early stage of the outermost part, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of embolism.

In addition, the shape of the recess 323 is not limited to a semicircular shape, as long as it can make the flow of the plant biomass treatment material into a complicated flow, for example, it may be a semi-elliptical shape, a triangular shape, or other different shapes.

<Example 5>

Next, another example of a special seal ring 300 is shown in FIGS. 28 to 31 . Fig. 28 is a diagram showing an example of a sealing ring, Fig. 29 is a diagram of Fig. 28 viewed from the direction of arrow U1, which is the feeding direction of the plant biomass treatment product, and Fig. 30 is a view from the direction of the arrow along line C-C in Fig. 29 As an observation view, FIG. 31 is an enlarged view showing the main part of FIG. 28 .

The special sealing ring 300 is characterized in that at least one circumferential groove 324 is recessed on the outer peripheral surface 316 of the enlarged diameter portion 312 . As shown in FIG. 28 , the circumferential grooves 324 are formed so as to extend along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface 316 , and in this embodiment, two grooves 324 are provided at predetermined intervals in the axial longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 31 , the circumferential groove 324 is provided with: a concave curved surface 324 a forming an upstream side portion of the circumferential groove 324 in the feed direction; and a tapered portion 324 b forming the circumferential groove. 324 on the downstream side of the feeding direction.

The concave curved surface portion 324a is formed such that its cross-sectional shape has a concave arc shape with a constant radius of curvature sr. The tapered portion 324b is formed such that its cross-sectional shape gradually transitions radially outward at an inclination angle sα as it transitions from the concave curved portion 324a toward the downstream side in the feeding direction.

Therefore, when the plant biomass treatment material fed from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the passage 1a moves from the position opposing the outer peripheral surface 316 to the position opposing the circumferential direction groove 324, the The concave curved surface 324a of 324 can rapidly reduce the pressure acting on the plant biomass treatment material, and can moderate pressure and flow fluctuations. Furthermore, the pressure and flow fluctuations acting on the plant biomass treatment material can be gradually increased by the tapered portion 324b of the circumferential groove 324 .

Furthermore, by repeatedly relaxing and increasing the pressure of the plant biomass treatment material by using the plurality of circumferential grooves 324, the pressure/resistance in the flow direction of the plant biomass treatment material can be smoothed, and a safer seal can be obtained. Resistance (liquidity). Furthermore, it is especially effective for the sealing performance of the high-temperature/high-pressure area where the density of the plant biomass processing material rapidly increases.

The number of circumferential grooves 324 may be one, or three or more. Furthermore, a structure may be adopted in which a gentle helix angle is provided so as to gradually transition toward the downstream side in the feeding direction as it transitions toward the rear side in the rotation direction, thereby relieving fluctuations in the pressure acting on the plant biomass treated material.

<Example 6-8>

32 to 34 are diagrams showing cross-sectional shapes of guide grooves provided in the seal ring.

A guide groove 317 is recessed on the outer peripheral surface 316 of the enlarged diameter portion 312 . The guide groove 317 extends from the front surface 313 to the rear surface 134 of the enlarged diameter portion 312 to communicate between the upstream side and the downstream side of the enlarged diameter portion 312 in the feeding direction.

The guide groove 317A of the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 32 has a substantially U-shaped cross section cut from the outer peripheral surface 316 in the radial direction. Furthermore, the guide groove 317E of the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 33 has a substantially U-shaped cross section cut from the outer peripheral surface 316 toward the rear side in the rotation direction so as to have a predetermined angle θs-E with respect to the radial direction. . Furthermore, the guide groove 317G of the eighth embodiment shown in FIG. 34 has a substantially V-shaped cross section cut from the outer peripheral surface 316 toward the rear side in the rotation direction so as to have a predetermined angle θs-G with respect to the radial direction. .

The feed force generated by the stirring and flow by the guide grooves 317A, 317E, and 317G becomes larger in the order of the guide grooves 317A, 317E, and 317G (317A<317E<317G), and the unloading factor can be arbitrary according to the conditions and sizes of the grooves. By setting, the flow resistance of the plant biomass treatment material can be changed according to the outer diameter of the enlarged diameter part 312 .

Regarding the screw segments described above, it is not necessary to use all the screw segments at the same time, but they are appropriately selected according to conditions and the like, and are attached to the screw shaft 7 for use.

As above, each embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail using the accompanying drawings. However, the specific structure is not limited thereto. invention.

For example, the screw row, helix angle, pitch, L/D, number of screws or paddles arranged in the passage 1a of the barrel 1 can be appropriately selected as needed. Moreover, although the case of the twin-screw extruder was demonstrated as an example, it is not limited to this, It is applicable also to the extruder of uniaxial or three or more.

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the twin-screw extruder in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 35 , the screw extruder is provided with a plurality of decomposition agent supply parts 4 , refrigerant supply parts 5 , and enzyme supply parts 6 along the flow direction of the cylinder body 1 . According to this configuration, the decomposer, the refrigerant, and the enzyme can be supplied at an optimal timing according to the processing state of the plant biomass processed product in the passage 1a.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 36 , the screw extruder may have a structure in which the diameter of the barrel 1 expands midway. According to this configuration, the large-diameter portion on the downstream side can slow down the speed of the flow in the passage 1a, and it is possible to ensure a long time for the cooling process, the mash brewing process, and the like.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 37 , the screw extruder may have a U-shaped reverse structure at a halfway position of the cylinder body 1 . According to this structure, the length of the barrel 1 can be ensured longer, and it is possible to carry out saccharification and fermentation in the barrel 1 immediately following the saccharification and brewing region 14 , for example.

Claims (5)

1. A screw segment mounted to the screw shaft in a barrel of a screw extruder in a manner capable of integrally rotating with the screw shaft, The screw segment is characterized in that, The screw section has: a shaft portion fixed to the screw shaft; and a tooth portion protruding radially outward from the shaft portion, A tooth surface of the tooth portion formed on the front side in the rotation direction of the screw shaft is inclined so as to gradually transition toward the front side in the rotation direction as it transitions from the shaft portion to the outside in the shaft radial direction. 2. The screw segment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tooth surface is inclined so as to transition to the rear side in the rotation direction as it transitions from the upstream side in the feeding direction to the downstream side in the cylinder. 3. The screw segment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The tooth surface is formed such that the tooth surface on the addendum side of the tooth portion is narrower than the tooth surface on the dedendum side. 4. The screw segment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The teeth have: the top surface of the head, the top surface of the head is opposite to the inner wall surface of the cylinder; a front surface formed on the feeding direction upstream side of the teeth; and A stepped portion is formed by cutting an edge portion between the parietal surface and the front surface into a stepped shape. 5. A screw extruder, characterized in that, The screw extruder has a screw segment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images